Car-truck



c. T. WESTLAKEf CAR TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25,1919. 1,385,737, Patented July 26, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. T. WESTLAKE.

CAR TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25,1919.

1,385,737, Patented July 26, 1921..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES '1'. WESTLAKE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 ooMMoNwEAErIISTEEL COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY.

CAR-TRUCK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that '1, CHARLES T. WEST- LAKE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Car- Trucks, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in car trucks ofthetype having pivoted side frames, the principal objects of myinvention being to generally improve upon and simplify the constructionof this type of truck; and to provide means for distributing the load ofthe car on the journals.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, my invention consists incertain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts,hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a car truckof my improved construction.

Fig. 2 is a cross Section taken approximately on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig.2.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate apractical. embodiment of my invention, 10, 10 designate wheel carryingaxles, the ends thereof being arranged in the usual manner in journalboxes 11, and which latter are arranged in journal box openings formedin truck side frames 12. These side frames are preferably cast and arerovided on their ends with brackets 13 wiich serve as supports andpoints of connection for the hangers of outside hung brake beams 14.These side frames 12 are tied together by a centrally arranged member15, the ends thereof being seated in openings formed in the centralportions of the side frames and passing through the 'ends of said tiemember are vertically disposed bolts or king pins 16.

The central portion of each side frame is provided at its top with awidened portion 17 the same serving as a rest or support for the lowerends of a series of compression springs 18.

A relatively light truckbolster 19, pref- Specification of LettersPatent. I Patent d J l '26. 1921 1919. Serial No. 313,288.

era-bly cast, has its end portions formed into sprlng cap plates 20which are positioned over and bear directly upon the upper ends of thesprings 18, and formed integral with the central portion of each springcap plate is a depending tubular bearing member 21 which extendsdownwardly into a cylindrical bearing member 22, the latter projectingupwardly from the center of the corresponding spring supporting plate17.

Formed at the center of the bolster 19 is a pocket which is occupied bya compres- S1011 spring 24, the upper end thereof bearing directlyagainst the underside of a body bolster 25 or a part of the carunderframe.

Formed on or fixed to the undersides of the end portions of the bodybolster 25 are plvot bearing plates 26, the same resting incorresponding bearings 27, and which latter are formed on top of the capplates 20 on the ends of the bolster 19. The upper portions of the boltsor king pins 16 pass through suitably formed apertures in the centers ofplates 26, 27 and 17.

By virtue of this construction, the ends of bolster 19 are pivotallyconnected to the car underframe or body bolster and at the same timethey are pivotally connected to the central portions of the side frames11 and upon which latter they are yieldingly supported by thecompression sprin s 18. This construction is effective in pro ucin thedesired degree of flexibility in the true and while in serviceand thetruck is traversing a curved portion of the track, the bolster 19 willat all times remain at right angles to the longitudinal center line ofthe car body. At the same time, as the truck side frames move radiallyto accommodate themselves to the curved track, they will also moveradially relative to the bolster. This will produce a distorting effectin the Springs 18 and when the truck reaches the straight track, thesesprings will, in tending to return to their normal positions, have acentering effect on the side frames which will restore them to theirnormal positions parallel with the car body. Any load received by thesprings 24 is transferred through the bolster 19 to the truck sideframes so that at all times this weight bears upon the wheels at eachside of the truck.

In service it sometimes happens that a wheel, or wheels, on one side ofthe truck will drop into a depression in the track,

with the result that these low wheels tend to throw the load on theremaining supports of the car body. My present constructioncontemplatessupportlng the car body at its four corners, and if one ofthese supports is removed, as when a wheel, or the wheels on one side ofthe truck drop into a depression in the tra ck, then, if the carunderframe or the car body itself is sufficiently stiff and the drop ofthe wheels is sufficiently far, the supporting spring between thedropped side frame and body bolster either approach or pass the state ofexhaustion. In the latter event, the spring 24 serves as a compensatingspring and assists in su porting the car atits center. Under or inaryconditions, the springs 24 are bottled up, and are brought into play toserve as auxiliary supporting springs when any of the main supportingsprings at the four corners of the car fail to perform their function orperform it inefficiently.

If the car body was flexible, such, for instance, as an old wooden carbody which will weave and twist in service, possibly the corner of thecar (which would be unsupported where the car body was sufficientlystrong and rigid to carry the load on its three corners) might drop,when the wheels strike a depression in the track, and cause the flangesof the wheels to constantly engage the track thereby preventingderailment.

But, if the wheels are held above the track over the depression, wheremy truck construction is employed, in connection with a rigid car body,then derailment might follow, especially on a curve. To avoid thisderailment and to transmit a portion of the load of the car body ontothe wheels in a depression in the track, the compensating spring 24 willbe brought into action to assist in supporting the'load when any set ofsupporting springs fails to adequately perform its function.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form andconstruction of the various parts of my improved car truck can be madeand substituted for those herein shown and described, without departingfrom the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a car truck, the combination with a pair of side frames, of abolster pivotally connected to said side frames, yielding-pressure meansinterposed between the side frames and said bolster and yieldingpressure means bearing on top of said bolster.

2. In a car truck, a pair of side frames, a bolster pivotally connectedto said side frames, yielding pressure means interposed between the sideframes and said bolster, and a spring interposed between said bolsterand a part of the car body.

3. In a car truck, a pair of side frames, a bolster having its endportions pivotally connected to and yieldingly supported upon said sideframes, bearing arranged on the end portions of said bolster, and meansfor tying said bearing plates, bolsters, and side frames to each other.

4. In a car truck, a pair of side frames, a bolster having its endportions pivotally connected to and yieldingly supported upon said 'sideframes, bearing plates pivotally arranged on the end portions of saidbolster, means for tying said bearing plates, bolsters, and side framesto each other, and yielding pressure means bearin on top of said bolsterbetween the bearlng plates.

5. In a car truck, a pair of side frames, a bolster having its endsformed to receive springs, the same being pivotally connected to theside frames, springs interposed between the side frames and bolster, anda spring interposed between the bolster and a part of the car body.

6. In a car truck, a ranged beneath a car body and havlng its endspivotally supported thereupon, truck side frames pivotally connectedtothe end portions of said bolster and adapted to swing in horizontalplanes, and springs interposed between said side frames and bolster.

7. The combination-of a bolster pivotally arranged beneath the car body,truck side frames pivotally arranged beneath the end portions of thebols er, wheels and axles, yielding means between the bolster and saidside frames, and expansion means between the bolster and the car bodywhereby when the wheels reach a depression in the track, said expansionmeans tend to force the wheels to follow the track.

8. In a car truck, a pair of side frames, a bolster yieldingly andpivotally arranged beneath a car body, cooperating means between saidside frames and the end portions of the. bolster, which cooperatingmeans constitutes a bearing to permit the side frames to swing inhorizontal planes, and yielding pressure means arranged between saidside frames and bolster.

9. In a car truck, a pair of side frames, a bolster, cooperating meansbetween said side frames and the end portions of the bolster, whichcooperating means constitutes a bearing to permit the side frames toswing in horizontal planes, yielding pressure means arranged betweensaid side frames and bolster, and a spring arranged on the bolster foryieldingly supporting a portion of the weight of the car body carried bythe truck. I

10. In a car truck, a pair of side frames, a bolster supported by saidside frames, a plurality of pivotal bearing plates between platespivotally bolster yieldingly ar-' said bolster and the car body andyielding pressure means between said bolster and the car body, whichyielding pressure means is located between said pivotal bearing plates.

11. In a car truck, a pair of side frames, a bolster pivotally connectedto said side frames, yieldin pressure means interposed between the-si eframes and said bolster, and a plurality of pivotal bearing plates between said bolster and the car body.

12. In a car truck, a pair of side frames, 10 a bolster yieldinglysupported thereupon, pivotal bearing plates between said bolster and thecar body, and a spring interposed .betweensaid bolster and the car body.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my 15 signature this 16th day ofJuly, 1919.

CHARLES T. WESTLAKE.

